Pascal Hilkens Astro Page

Friday, October 2, 2026

Software for Photometry

I'm preparing a lecture on Photometry and as part of this I completed a comparison between different software packages. Personaly I only have experience with ASTAP but with some upcoming and upgraded software the landscape is changing. The below tabel is made using AI.

Lecture on Infinity by philosopher Victor Gijsbers

Attending a philosopher's lecture at Studium Generale @ Maastricht.

Humanity is caught between longing for eternity and the reality of our fragile, fleeting existence. In his acclaimed book "Oneindigheid: een filosofische gids", Leiden philosopher Victor Gijsbers explores if the universe is infinite and how we should live within it. He questions whether endless space holds copies of us and if immortality would truly improve our lives—or prove far more agonizing than our finite mortality. Gijsbers suggests endless time might strip our choices of consequence and become a psychological burden.

Pushing this further, 19th-century thinker Louis-Auguste Blanqui argued in L'éternité par les astres that finite elements in an infinite cosmos mean every life, and every form of immortality, repeats itself identically across the stars. Does this infinite loop rob us of unique meaning, or does it give our finite moments ultimate weight?

At the end of the lecture, reference was made to mathematics and infinitity and what this tells us about reality.

True to tradition, I naturally had to snap a selfie at the lecture to document my own tiny, fleeting moment against this vast cosmic backdrop! Some thinking...would I want to live forever, or does my mortality define my value?

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Special Moon Halo 9°, 22° and 46°

Full moon and open sky with some high clouds, perfect storm for some moon halo's. Beside the classic 22° halo, two more halo's could be observed: 9° and 46°.

1.000.000 Milestone Achieved - Thank you!

WOW! Achieving 1 million viewers on my blog... really amazing and thank you all!

Saturday, September 26, 2026

My interview of Total Solar Eclipse published in Magazine Zenit of October 2026

For any eclipse chaser, seeing totality is a breathtaking experience, but having your observation featured in a renowned astronomy publication makes it all the more special. In the October edition of the well-known Dutch astronomy magazine Zenit, written by Mat Drummen, my interview about the Total Solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026, was officially published. The article captures the firsthand experiences of observers who traveled to Spain to witness this spectacular celestial event, and I was thrilled to share my own story alongside other passionate stargazers—including the famous Dutch science journalist Govert Schilling.

My vantage point for the eclipse was the tranquil municipality of Carrión de los Condes in the province of Palencia, Spain. To capture the event from a unique perspective, I piloted a drone to an altitude of 24 meters, recording beautiful aerial film footage as the Moon gradually blocked out the Sun. Because the eclipse occurred low on the horizon, the atmosphere during totality was truly idyllic, painting the Spanish sky with dramatic, warm tones. Just as totality began and the Sun’s corona burst into view, a wave of applause and cheers echoed from observers in the distance, capturing the shared awe of everyone gathered under the Moon's shadow. Being featured in Zenit is a wonderful reminder of an unforgettable trip, and it is an honor to have these memories preserved in print for the broader astronomy community.

Supernova SN 2026aaiv in NGC7331 - ASTAP

Supernova SN 2026aaiv is located in NGC7331. NGC7331 is a Herschel 400 object and located in constellation Pegasus. According Stephen James O'Meara's Herschel 400 Observing Guide (p 283), the spiral galaxy is mag 9,5 and a fairly easy object to observe. It's distance is 46 million ly (The complete guide to the Herschel Objects).

I used ASTAP software to analyse the pictures. Format is fit and the best image out of 14 was selected using APP. After solving, analysing and selecting the Green channel, the DSO annotation and magnitude was completed.

The magnitude of the SN is 12,6 according ASTAP. For comparison, rochesterastronomy shows in the same green channel a value between 12,1 and 12,2 on september 20 and 22.